The Namikaze Chronicles: Part One: A Girl Named Taishi
by JMK425
Summary: "You're very disrespectful." "And you're very fat." A mouthy 6yr old finds herself a prisoner of war and discovers a family. Meanwhile, Minato's learning to cope with his newfound little sister and all the secrets she carries. -Set before Naruto series. Rated M for safety. Unknown Genre. Major Character deaths. Some chapters longer than others-
1. Chapter One

**The Namikaze Chronicles**

 **Part One: The Girl Known as Taishi**

The Wind Country Daimyo sat on a pile of cushions in all his fat, stupid glory stuffing his face with meat the troops hadn't seen in months. Taishi pinched her lips together, balling her fists at her sides. She had to protect the glutton or she would have hunted for food an hour ago. How long had it been since she'd eaten anyway?

Too long and this jerk had the nerve to nibble on pork in front of her. She scowled, turning away from him and plopping in the dirt. The empty camp beyond the flap of the tent wasn't helping either. If someone else had been there, she'd leave the fat man to his meal and go find her own. She couldn't though.

"Are you hungry, little turtle?" He wasn't offering, his tone was too mocking for that.

"Taishi," she corrected, scowling at him as she shifted into a lotus position, "And the state of my stomach is not your concern."

"You're very disrespectful."

"And you're very fat."

The Daimyo laughed.

She rolled her eyes and cupped her cheek, peeking through the crack in the tent. Explosions rumbled in the distance and she nibbled her lip. The entire platoon, save for her, had been sent to the frontline and it left a boulder in her gut.

If Konoha realized the Daimyo had been left with a six-year-old guard…

"You're nervous, little turtle."

"You think?" she scowled, "You left us at a disadvantage. You can't fight and honestly, I don't have enough experience to save you if we're attacked. You should have left at least two guards with us, but you're old and stubborn and fat and can't think with that pea size brain of yours."

"You're lucky you're adorable or I'd have your throat slit for the insults, little turtle."

She snorted. "Good luck with that."

The Daimyo snorted, shifting on his cushions and watching her with his beady eyes, "Tell me about your otousan, little turtle."

She shrugged. "Don't know him. Why?"

"I'm bored and was hoping you'd entertain me while we wait."

"You do know I'm your temporary guard, not an entertainer, right?"

"I'm aware, but indulge me. Sitting here listening to thunder rumble is quite boring."

She glared at him. "That's not thunder."

"Oh?"

"They're explosions, you twit."

"Mouthy for a child, aren't you?" The Daimyo leaned forward on the cushion with a smirk on his face, "And entertaining. I was unaware children were so eloquent when they spoke."

"Then you don't listen."

"Do you sleep with a stuffed bear? My daughter adores hers and she's about your age."

She scowled at him. "I may slit your throat if you keep insulting me like that."

The Daimyo frowned. "Pity. So young, yet so old. Must be hard on you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, little turtle, you are a child, yet are treated, act, and speak as an adult. It saddens me to see one so innocent so corrupted by our world."

How was she supposed to respond to that? She frowned, dropping her gaze to the dirt under her. She scratched her arm, glancing through the crack of the tent. The frequency in explosions was starting to die down. That was good, right?

"Come here, little turtle," the Daimyo beckoned, "And bring me that small trunk over there." He pointed to a trunk that he could have reached if he'd been bothered to move.

She rolled her eyes and stood, dusting her cloak off and heading for the trunk.

Yanking the handle and digging her feet into the ground, she grunted. No wonder he hadn't gotten it himself! Her muscles pulled, her back screamed in protest and she collapsed. Two inches. That's all she could manage?

"I…can't move it," she gulped, tilting her head toward him as heat flooded her cheeks. She was a shinobi, she should've been able to do better than two inches!

He smiled at her, rolled off his cushions and stood before heading to her. "You tried, little turtle, that's all that matters."

She snorted, hearing the lid snap open. What a pathetic excuse for a Jonin…can't even move a trunk…

She sighed, jerking as something was shoved in her face. "What the?" She grabbed the soft thing and held it over her head. A stuffed wolf. The black and white fur was soft and it had adorable pointed ears and pretty blue eyes. She frowned. "What's this?"

"I'd intended on giving it to my daughter, but I think you need it," the Daimyo smiled at her.

She nibbled her lip. It was adorable, but… "What am I supposed to do with it?" A stuffed wolf wouldn't be any help in battle, so what was the point of it?

He puffed up so much, she could almost smell the anger rolling off him. "You've never had a toy before have you?"

"Do kunai count?"

"No." He glared at her, face redder than her hair, "I can't believe your parents would condone a child being used like this…you keep that wolf and hang on to as much of your childhood as you can, you hear me?"

She gulped and nodded, stuffing the wolf in her vest.

The Daimyo seemed satisfied and returned to his cushions.

What was his problem?

She nibbled her lip as she sat up. She now had a toy, but again, what was she supposed to do with it? Sighing, she shook her head and stood, heading to her spot by the flap of the tent again. She'd figure it out eventually.

She resumed her spot near the door. Pulling the wolf from her vest, Taishi sat it in her lap and kept a hold on it as she listened for her platoon's return. The explosions had stopped and the sky was turning a dark blue fading into orange as the sun began to set.

They should be back any time.

She fingered the fur of the wolf as she strained her ears, listening for the footsteps of her squadron. She heard the Daimyo shift against his cushions and crickets begin to chirp as the sun sank lower behind the trees. An owl hooted somewhere in the distance and an animal scurried through the underbrush behind the tent. Stars began to speckle the dark blue sky as the sun dipped further.

Where were they?

She nibbled her lip, straining to hear a scuff of dirt, a branch snapping…anything other than the sounds of the night. The Daimyo dozed off and started snoring as the sun disappeared completely and a blanket of stars covered the heavens and still, she listened, holding her breath and praying they'd return.

"Katon: Gōen no Jutsu," whispered from behind the tent.

Her heart leapt to her throat the same time her feet bolted for the Daimyo. Cramming the wolf in her vest, she grabbed his arm. "We got to go!" She yanked him up and dragged him to the door as flames engulfed the tent.

Bursting into the open space of the camp, she froze, tightening her grip on the Daimyo's arm. Moonlight and the glow of the fire behind her glinted off a dozen Konoha headbands. She swallowed, stomach clenching in fear.

"A kid?" one of the shinobi to the right chuckled, ANBU tattoo on his right arm gleaming in the light, "Piss poor excuse for a guard if you ask me."

"Careful, she looks like she might have some bite to her," one to the left said, ANBU tattoo on his left arm.

They were dead.

Worse than dead.

If these men were Chunin, she might have a chance, but three ANBU and nine Jonin were beyond her fighting ability. Her strength was survival, not ninjutsu. Why had she been left to protect the Daimyo?

Think, Taishi, think…

There had to be something. Some way out of this…

She bit her lip. It might not work, but…

Digging into her vest, she grabbed a handful of smoke bombs. Maybe they could run for it?

She threw the bombs, yanked the Daimyo's arm, and bolted for the woods.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she ran, dodging and leaping over logs.

The world tilted and dirt filled her mouth as pain erupted through her nose and leg. What the? Turning, she spotted the Daimyo face down in the dirt, wheezing. She sat up, spitting the dirt out only to have copper replace it as blood dripped into her mouth. She tugged his arm.

They couldn't stop here.

Already, the shinobi were in pursuit, hovering just on the edge of her senses like tigers ready to pounce on their prey. She had to get him up, get him moving again, but how? The man was three hundred pounds of flesh and had probably never run a day in his life. How could she keep him moving?

Carrying him wasn't an option. He was much bigger than her and a lot heavier than the trunk in the tent had been. What could she do?

Her stomach dropped to her toes.

Nothing.

There was nothing she could do.

Arms circled her shoulders and she screamed as she was lifted from the ground and caged against a muscled chest. She kicked at the man holding her, stabbed a kunai in his leg, yet his hold never faltered.

"Let go!" She squirmed, bit his arm, and still, he held fast. Why wouldn't he let go!?

Tears pricked her eyes and her stomach rolled as a gurgled voice breathed, "Little turtle…" before silence filled the clearing. Bile rose in her throat and she heaved, puking on the forest floor.

He was dead. The Daimyo was dead.

And it was her fault.

She heaved again, acid stinging her throat. Why? Why was she so useless?

"Easy, kiddo," a voice murmured.

She stiffened as a large hand rested on her back. Her chest heaved, acid rose in her throat, and she puked again. Why…why…why…

"Calm down, little one," another voice soothed as a hand rested on her head, "Just breathe."

Something in her snapped. "Breathe!" She jerked her head up, glaring at the man who'd spoken and kicked her feet at him, "You killed him!"

He grabbed her legs, unknowingly sending a jolt of pain up her left one. "I know, but you need to calm down. You're only going to hurt yourself."

Light flared from somewhere to her left, blinding her for a moment before eleven faces came into view. They stood around her and the man holding her, blocking the Daimyo's corpse from view. Had they not been her enemy, she might have been grateful for the thoughtfulness. She couldn't be though.

Not now.

Not after…

She sighed, bowing her head and going limp in the man's arms. "What are you going to do with me?"

"We're not killing you, little one," the blond man ruffled her hair, "We are, however, going to take you back to camp and see what Minato-taichou wants to do."

"Yeah, never had a child prisoner before," the man holding her murmured.

She stared at her feet, clinging to the strong arms caging her like the small child she was as the shinobi began to walk through the woods. She was a prisoner of war now. If her okaasan knew, she'd be more even more disappointed.

She sighed. Sunagakure was going to be disappointed in her too. She'd graduated so early and they'd labeled her a genius. Yet, her first time fighting alone and she couldn't even put up a fight.

"Haha's going to kill me," she breathed, resting her chin on the man's arms and closing her eyes. The footsteps and quiet breathing around her were soothing. If she relaxed enough, she could almost pretend the man's arms were her otousan's and he was simply carrying her home after a grueling day of training.

She chuckled. What was wrong with her?

She didn't even know her otousan. How could she even think something like that?

The man holding her shifted and warm breath tickled her ear. "Thank you," whispered against her skin.

"For?"

"Not fighting us. I didn't want to kill a kid." He squeezed her waist and rested his head on hers, "I was hoping you weren't stupid enough to attack us and you weren't. You have no idea how comforting that is."

She shrugged. "You're welcome I guess."

The man with spiky brown hair pulled in a backward ponytail walking next to her and her captor frowned. "Why didn't you fight us?"

"I'm no match for nine Jonin and three ANBU. I'd barely survive attacking a Chunin if I wanted to." She sighed, resting her cheek on her captor's arm.

"Well, least you know your strengths and weaknesses," the man to the right chuckled, rubbing her head, "Smart girl."

In what universe?

She yawned. Between the quiet of the forest, the soft breathing of her captors, and the rocking motion of the man holding her, her eyelids were getting heavy. Or maybe it was the adrenaline wearing off?

"Tired, kiddo?" the man holding her asked.

She hummed in her throat, drifting somewhere between awake and asleep.

"Hang on," the man stopped and shifted her till her head was on his shoulder and his arm was under her bottom.

She couldn't protest or move as she dropped off to sleep, absently clutching the furry toy in her vest.

* * *

When Taishi woke again, a woman who looked like an overgrown owl stood over her and smiled with slightly crooked teeth. The woman was a nurse, judging by the uniform, so she was in a medical tent. Why?

Owl woman smiled, "You have a broken ankle."

She nodded, tilting her head and spotting the man who'd carried her on the cot across from her. His chest was covered in bandages, but he was smiling at her.

"Welcome back, kiddo."

"Thanks?"

He chuckled, "Name's Toshi. What's yours?"

"Taishi." She bit her lip, looking him over. His face had a scar running from his right ear to his lip and his green hair seemed to be in a permanent state of messy, but he seemed friendly enough.

"You aren't going to try to run after you're healed, are you?" he asked, tucking an arm under his head.

He had no idea what he'd done.

"And go where? Thanks to you my charge died and I was captured. It'd be a death sentence if I was stupid enough to try to go back home," she sneered at him, crossing her arms over her chest, "And I like my head where it is, thank you."

Toshi looked surprised. "You can't go home?"

"Were you listening? No. I can't."

He shook his head. "Man, I heard Suna was rough with their shinobi, but didn't know they'd kill you if you were captured."

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "They'll kill me for letting the Daimyo die. Getting captured leads to an extensive and, often invasive, interrogation."

"Those are big words for a little girl," Owl woman murmured, staring at her while she worked on the patient on Toshi's other side, "How old are you?"

"Six and my haha insisted I not be a complete idiot when speaking with people."

"Geez, my son doesn't even talk that good," Toshi groaned, rubbing a hand over his face.

"It's well, you idiot. Your son doesn't speak that well," she corrected, shaking her head, "And I can see where he gets it from."

A snort drew her attention to a short haired, blond man in the doorway. She pinched her lips together at the seriousness in his face. Something about him screamed authority and the hairs on her neck stood on end as he bent over her like a blond grim reaper ready to rip her apart.

"I would suggest you stop the attitude." His tone was steel. "They saved your life and you are being disrespectful to them. I will not tolerate it."

She bit her lip, glancing at Toshi over the man's shoulder. He had a point, but… "I didn't ask them to save me…" she said quietly, dropping her gaze to the splint on her foot.

"Minato-taichou?" Owl woman murmured, looking at the blond man.

"Hm?"

"Perhaps she doesn't know better? Sometimes children are rude because that's all they know," Owl woman said, "And being so young..."

She snorted, glaring at the woman. "Don't think you know me, bird woman."

"There you go again," Minato sneered, getting in her face.

She could smell the hint of mint on his breath and gulped. He was going to kill her!

"I'm warning you. Stop insulting my squadron or I'll have them dump you somewhere. Got it?"

She chewed her lip, plucking at the wolf tail poking from under her vest. Had she really been that rude? She was used to insulting and being insulted by her squadron and haha. These people weren't her squadron though.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, dropping her gaze to the man's vest, "I'm not used to people being nice to me."

"What's your name?" Minato asked, straightening so he was standing over her.

"Namikaze, Taishi."

Silence.

She nibbled her lip. Everyone in the tent seemed to have frozen, staring in mixes of shock, awe, and curiosity at Minato who stared at her in absolute horror. She squirmed, absently fiddling with the wolf tail again. Had she said something wrong?

"You…have a daughter, Minato-taichou?" Toshi breathed, breaking the stillness of the room.

Her shoulders were grabbed and she winced as Minato's fingers dug into her arms.

"You're okaasan. Who's your okaasan?"

What was he panicking about? She tilted her head. "Fuugaku, Chiori. Why?"

Minato deflated, releasing a heavy sigh as his head rested on hers. "You aren't my daughter," he chuckled, sounding half insane.

"Chichi's name was Namikaze, Matsu. He died three years ago."

"Oh hell…"

Taishi glanced at Toshi who'd gone pale.

"Your otousan was Matsu?" Minato mumbled, voice so quiet she almost missed what he'd said.

"Hai," she nodded, "I didn't know him, but haha mentioned him once shortly after he died."

"Did she ever mention any siblings?"

"I have an otouto." She pinched her lips together. Why did he look so sad?

Before she could protest, Minato yanked her off the cot and tucked her into his chest like a newborn baby. What was he doing!?

"I've got her," he said quietly to Owl woman as he turned for the door.

She caught one last glimpse of Toshi giving her a thumbs up before the tent closed and the sounds of the camp invaded her ears.

She chewed her lip.

Chunin, Jonin, ANBU…

There was no way she was getting out of here alive.

The scent of meat invaded her nostrils. Her stomach rumbled and heat flooded her cheeks. Minato changed direction and the warmth of a campfire hit her back as he plopped down next to it and turned her around. The ones who'd captured her sat around the fire eating their dinner and her mouth watered as they shoved noodles and meat into their mouths. Was she getting food too?

"She's hungry," Minato commented when the man with the spiky brown reverse ponytail quirked a brow.

She grinned. She was going to eat too!

Taking the bowl the man handed her, her mouth watered at the meat, vegetables, noodles, and broth in the bowl. How long had it been since she'd had actual food?

Suddenly ravenous, she shouted, "Itadakimasu!" before cramming her mouth full of pork. Flavor exploded on her tongue and she moaned. It'd been way too long…

* * *

Meanwhile, Minato watched the back of the girl's red head.

This girl.

This tiny, little girl was his imouto and she had no idea.

He sighed, leaning his forehead against the back of her head. She stiffened for a moment before she shrugged and continued eating. He squeezed her tiny waist.

His otousan cheated and created a child.

He wanted to puke…

Or scream…

Or crush the waist in his hands.

He didn't, but the temptation was overwhelming.

Instead, he wrapped her in his arms and squeezed her tight. His men would've killed her if she hadn't been so young.

He frowned. If they had, he wouldn't have known about her. Wouldn't have known about his father's infidelity, but…would that have been a good thing?

He squeezed her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. He could kill her, make it seem as if she never existed and save his okaasan some heartache. It'd be so easy too. She was so fragile and, while a bit weary, far too trusting. But…

She was a child, barely into life. Could he really kill her if he had the chance?

No.

He couldn't.

He sighed, dropping his hands around her waist again. He couldn't kill her, but could he accept her?

Out of the two, that was going to be the hard part. He didn't know her, yet some part of him wanted to. Perhaps, he could get to know her and maybe, accept her one day. Until then, he'd keep her close and make sure nothing happened to her. After everything his otousan had done for him, the least he could do was take care of his child. He owed the man that much.

"You're feeding a prisoner?"

Kakashi.

The preteen stood next to him with Rin and Obito behind him, confusion written on all their faces.

Damn it…

"We can't let her starve," Inoichi shrugged, shifting to grab a water bottle.

Kakashi frowned. "But rules of warfare-"

"Require a prisoner to be coherent if possible," Taishi frowned at the older boy, "Not giving them food makes them incoherent, doesn't it? Makes it harder to interrogate them?"

He quirked a brow. How'd she know that?

"True. However, you are also unbound. Rules-"

"State that incapacitated prisoners are not required to be bound. My ankle's broken so it's not like I can just up and run, you know. I can't even walk on my own," Taishi jutted her chopstick at Kakashi, "Aside from that, even if I were capable of running, I wouldn't. I'm not moronic enough to try and escape a camp full of shinobi who are bigger than me. Learned that lesson already, thank you very much."

"You know a lot of big words for a little brat," Obito scowled at her.

Oh hell…

Didn't he just get her to stop insulting people?

"You're pretty observant for a goggle wearing idiot who thinks it's fun to pick on little kids," Taishi snipped before shoving some noodles in her mouth and glancing at Minato.

He sighed. "He insulted you first, so I'll let it go this time."

"What'd you say?" Obito growled, rolling his sleeve up while Kakashi and Rin grabbed him.

"Stop," he ordered, glaring at the boy, "You insulted her, so it's only fair that she insult you."

Obito snorted, plopping down in the dirt and glowering at Taishi. "Babies shouldn't talk like that. Could get you killed."

"With what? The plastic kunai you pretend to be a ninja with? Please…" Taishi scoffed, handing her empty bowl to Shikaku.

"More?" Shikaku questioned.

Taishi nodded. "If you don't mind. I haven't eaten in a while."

"Why not?" he asked, bending till he could see her face.

He grimaced.

She had their otousan's nose and slightly darker blue eye color…

She shrugged. "Ration supplies have been low."

"Serves you right," Obito snorted.

Rin smacked him upside the head. "Rude!"

He rubbed his temple. Was it possible for a brain to explode?

Taishi resumed eating while Kakashi and Rin joined Obito on the ground next to him. Kakashi's eyes moved over the arms around Taishi's waist before he looked at him, question clear in his eyes. He cleared his throat.

He was not explaining.

Minato listened as Taishi and Rin chatted about themselves for a while. At least Rin had the sense to be nice to his imouto. Obito was a lost cause and Kakashi just didn't seem to care. Though, he didn't miss the curious glances his younger student was giving the girl or him for that matter.

Taishi shifted in his lap and tossed her cloak behind her like a cape before she grabbed her bowl again. His breath caught.

"You're Jonin?"

"Mmhmm" she nodded, glancing at him with a mouth full of noodles.

"How!?" Obito screeched, leaping to his feet and pointing at her, "You're like three! There should be a law against that."

"I'm six, you jerk," Taishi scowled at him before something flashed in her eye and a smirk appeared on her lips, "And I've been Jonin for a year."

He pinched his lips together to keep from laughing as Obito dissolved in a puddle of shame and pulled hair.

"There isn't a law against child shinobi," Kakashi murmured, staring at Obito, "We're considered child shinobi ourselves, so it's possible for some to be younger than us."

"It's not fair…" Obito moaned, burying his face in his knees.

"Life isn't fair, twit," Taishi sighed, leaning forward and touching Obito's knee, "And to be completely honest, I wouldn't be Jonin if it hadn't been for my test scores in the survival exercise they gave us at the Academy. A five-year-old isn't supposed to know how to hunt, skin, and cook animals, what plants are poisonous and what aren't, or how to find water in the desert when there isn't any. I did and my instructor demanded I graduate on the spot. Had nothing to do with my chakra or fighting skills."

"Really?" Obito questioned, peeking at her.

"Hai," she nodded and smiled at him, "In fact, I bet you could beat me in a fight. My fighting skills are sorely lacking and my chakra control is terrible."

Okay. Now, he was curious…

"How do you know how to survive like that?" Minato asked causing her to look up at him.

"Let's just say my haha isn't particularly fond of me…" she murmured, frowning at his leg.

He narrowed his eyes at her when she didn't continue. What had she been through?

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ I hope you enjoyed the story so far. As of right now, it's six chapters long. Some chapters are longer than others, so fair warning if you continue to read this. I'm posting only the first chapter today to see what kind of response I get. Also, I wasn't sure what Genre this is. Let me know what you think! Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

She had to hand it to the Konoha shinobi. They weren't stupid. Unlike her own squadron, they left a few dozen shinobi behind when they went to the frontline. Smart, but she could have done without her 'bodyguards'.

The Obito kid was loud and annoying.

Kakashi was quiet, but so ridged, she was sure he had a stick up his ass.

Rin was nice, reminded her of a babysitter, but nice all the same.

She pinched her lips together. The three were arguing…again. It was her fault this time, but she couldn't help it. She really had to pee and Minato demanded she stay off her foot. If he'd been here, he would have taken her already, but these three were taking so long, she was on the verge of tears by the time Kakashi knelt with his back to her.

"Thank you!" She leapt at him, clutching his back and squeezing him tight.

He nodded, lifting her from the futon and tucking his hands under her. She locked her hands beneath his throat as he darted from the tent, through the camp, and into the trees. He was surprisingly warm for such a cold jerk.

Once her bladder was relieved, which had been more than a little awkward since he'd had to keep ahold of her while she went, he carried her back to camp at a slower pace while she fiddled with the cloth knotted at the back of his head. "Why are you always so quiet?" She tugged the knot on his headband to get his attention.

He shrugged. "Not much to say."

"You don't like me, do you?"

"You're a Jonin from Sunagakure. I'm not supposed to like you."

She hummed in her throat, throwing her arms over his shoulders and resting her chin on her left one. "Makes sense I guess. Konoha and Suna are enemies after all."

"Yet, Minato-sensei isn't treating you like one."

She shrugged. "I don't understand it either, but I'm not going to complain."

"Why?"

"Who would? I'm a prisoner, yet I'm not bound to a tree or treated like one."

Kakashi nodded. "Consider yourself lucky. If it'd been anyone other than Minato-sensei, you wouldn't have so much freedom."

"Trust me, I do." She plucked the leather strap on his shoulder, "Why don't you wear a vest like the other Chunin?"

"They don't make them in my size."

"Really? I was given a Jonin vest that was too big, but the snake woman at the clothing place tailored it so it'd fit. Does Konoha not have a clothing place?"

He glanced at her with a raised brow. "What are you talking about?"

"The place where civilians buy clothes," she huffed. How did he not know about the clothing place?

"You mean the clothing store?"

Store? "Is that what it's called?"

He stopped in his tracks. "You don't know what a store is?"

She chewed her lip, heat flooding her cheeks. "It's where you buy stuff?" she guessed, hiding her face in her arm.

"Hai, but why didn't you know it was a store?"

"Nobody told me."

His shoulders stiffened. "It's usually on the sign…"

"Oh…" She buried her face in his neck.

"You don't know how to read, do you?" he whispered, shock clear in his voice, "A vocabulary like that and you don't know how to read…"

She grimaced, digging her overheated face further into his neck. "Haha never taught me…" She gulped. This was not how she wanted this conversation to go.

"The Academy usually…you weren't there long enough to learn, were you?" He still sounded surprised and she couldn't blame him. She'd spent her childhood around adults and picked up on words and meanings of them from hearing them speak. There'd been no need for her to learn to read.

"We're going to change that," Kakashi declared, resuming his trek toward the tent she was sharing with him, Rin, Obito, and Minato, "Starting now, we're going to teach you to read. It'll be too dangerous for you if you don't learn."

"So, you do like me a little," she chuckled, poking his shoulder.

"I didn't say that."

"Sure, you didn't."

* * *

Minato ran a hand over his face. What on earth were they doing with her?

His students and imouto sat around the campfire with papers strewn all over the place. Taishi was biting her tongue, staring at the paper in her hand while Obito looked on the verge of exploding and Rin looked sympathetic. Kakashi was calm though and was explaining the writing on the paper to Taishi who appeared to be getting frustrated.

"I don't see the difference," Taishi growled, balling the paper up and pitching it into the flames, "How can the same symbol have two different meanings!?"

Kakashi sighed, grabbing another piece of paper and writing something on it. "There is a difference in the stroke. See? This line is straighter than that one."

"I don't see it," she scowled at Kakashi, "They look the same."

Minato scratched his head. "Are you teaching her how to read?"

"Trying to," Rin sighed, "She's not getting it though."

How did she… "How do you not know how to read?" He couldn't believe it. She'd spent the last week using words that a six-year-old shouldn't even know, yet didn't know how to read? How was such a thing possible?

"Her okaasan never taught her and she wasn't at the Academy long enough to learn," Kakashi murmured when Taishi didn't answer.

She plucked at her pant leg, face as red as her hair.

He frowned. "You don't know how to write either."

Taishi shook her head, lip firmly clenched between her teeth.

"Why didn't your okaasan teach you?"

She scratched her arm and looked away from him. "She doesn't like me." Her voice was so quiet, he almost missed what she'd said and when he did catch it, he saw red.

How could anyone hate their own child!?

He inhaled, forcing himself to calm down. It wouldn't do any good to get mad over something he couldn't fix, but damn it, he was going to teach his imouto to read. Standing, he circled the campfire and sat on her left side, grabbing a piece of paper and taking the pen from Kakashi. "Did they show you the alphabet?"

"The what?" Taishi tilted her head at him.

"We started with words." Kakashi murmured, a blush staining his cheeks.

"That's alright, but let's back track a little," Minato smiled, jotting down the alphabet for her, "We'll start with recognizing the letters then move to words and pronunciation, okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

A/N: Since the next two chapters are short, I decided to upload them at the same time as this one. On other note, I should add this story bounces a bit, but not horribly so. I tried to keep it in line with the original story line as well. Thank you to my reviewers and followers! I appreciate it!


	3. Chapter 3

Something weird was going on…

She'd been at the camp for a month now and this morning, a large group of Konoha shinobi had arrived and now, Minato, Rin, Obito, and Kakashi were packing some bags. She pinched her lips together, itching to ask, but keeping quiet as they moved around the tent gathering their things.

She plucked at the large shirt Rin had given her and shifted to get the bunched fabric of Obito's pants out from under her butt. The pants were going to fall off her at some point, they were just too big.

Minato swung his bag over his shoulders and came over to her with a smile on his face. "Ready, kiddo?"

"For what?"

He squatted next to her. "We're going home for a little while."

"And you're taking me with you?" She was a prisoner, she wasn't supposed to go with them…was she?

"Hai." Minato smiled while Kakashi packed her clothes, vest, and wolf in Minato's bag.

She pinched her lips together and tied her headband around her neck when Obito handed it to her. "Am I supposed to though?"

"Protocol says prisoners are to be taken to Konoha and detained until an agreement can be reached between Konoha and the prisoner's country to have them released," Kakashi murmured.

She scratched her nose. "But if the country of origin refuses to acknowledge or agree to the prisoner's release, the prisoner is killed so basically, in going to Konoha, I'm going to be held in a cell till I die by execution or starvation."

"Not if I can help it," Minato scowled, lifting her from the futon.

The pants slipped and heat flooded her cheeks as she snatched them before they fell off completely. "Maybe I should put my shorts back on?"

Minato chuckled, tucking a hand under her butt and holding her against his chest like a newborn. "You'll be fine in those till we can get your clothes washed."

He winced as her splint knocked his leg when she wrapped her feet around his waist.

"Sorry." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, clinging to him like a leech. He wouldn't drop her, but she still held on tight. She hated being carried.

"There she is!" Toshi's face appeared in front of her as they exited the tent and she grinned over Minato's shoulder.

"You're going home too?"

Toshi nodded, a wide smile bunching the scar on his cheek, "Get to see my new son finally."

"Why are we going to Konoha anyway? We're at war. Shouldn't the troops stay where they are?" She frowned. None of this was making any sense…

"We rotate out every six months," Minato explained in her ear, "Fresh troops fight better than ones who've been on the frontline for too long."

"Oh." she nodded. It made sense when it was put that way.

"Does Suna not rotate?" Toshi questioned, running a hand through his messy hair.

She shook her head. "I was on the frontline for a year and my superior had been there for four. I thought Konoha was the same way."

"No and thank goodness we aren't," Toshi grinned, ruffling her hair, "We'd go stark raving mad."

"I think you already are."

"Taishi." Minato murmured, warning clear in his tone.

She shrugged, grinning at Toshi. Toshi grinned back and winked at her before he fell in line with the rest of the troops as Minato began walking. Everyone went quiet as they entered the trees and she found herself quickly growing bored. She took to twisting the straps on Minato's bag to keep herself entertained.

An hour turned to two. Two turned to five and before she realized it, it was well into the night when she was jostled awake. Yawning, she scrubbed her eye, leaning away from Minato's hard shoulder a bit.

"Didn't mean to wake you, but we're here. Figured you might want to see Konoha before I take you home."

"Home?" Wasn't she supposed to go to a prison cell?

"Hai. I'll have to dig a futon out for you and you'll have to sleep in my room, but it's better than bunking with my okaasan. She snores," he smiled at her in the dim light coming from behind her.

"That goes against warfare protocol though." She scrunched her face. He was nice and had been for the last month, but taking her into his home?

"Well, it is, but this is a special case. I'm sure the Sandaime will understand."

She chewed her lip. Had the man lost his mind? He was captain of his squadron and should know warfare protocol like the back of his hand, so why was he ignoring it for her? She narrowed her eyes at him. What was he up to?

Minato stopped walking and the shinobi behind him froze on the spot before they all bowed at the waist. She clung tight to his shoulders as he stayed bent for a second and relaxed when he straightened again. What was that about?

"Hokage-sama," Minato smiled over her shoulder.

Oh.

She turned her head. An older man stood in front of the group with the Hokage hat covering his head. She bit her lip. What was she supposed to do now?

She gulped as he stepped forward, stopping inches from her and Minato and turned wizened eyes her way.

A smile broke over his face, "You must be Namikaze, Taishi."

"Hai?" She chewed her lip. He was going to put her in a cell any moment…

"Welcome to Konoha," He patted her head and turned his gaze to Minato, "Take her to the hospital, have her ankle examined and get her some crutches if she needs them before you take her home. I'm sure she's tired of being carried."

"Hai." Minato nodded.

"Wait. I'm not being put in a cell then?" None of this was making any sense!

The Hokage chuckled. "No. You'll be staying with Minato till we get this mess straightened out. I won't have a child in my prison if I can help it."

"Oh." she frowned. Everything about this screamed rule breakage and some part of her bristled at it, but the Hokage was the Hokage and if he said she wasn't going to the prison, then she wasn't. She squirmed, digging her fingers into Minato's shoulder. Why were they being so nice?

* * *

Her broken ankle was worse than they'd thought. She'd already been in a splint for a month, but the break hadn't healed at all and now, she had to have surgery. Minato grimaced as he walked with her, keeping his pace slow while she hobbled beside him on crutches.

She wouldn't have a broken ankle if his men hadn't chased her.

He ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath. Talk about guilt…

"Are you sure you don't want me to carry you?" Her borrowed pants kept slipping and she kept having to stop and pull them up.

"I'm fine. Besides, I have to get used to the crutches anyway," she smiled at him, tugging the drawstring on the pants as tight as they'd go.

He scratched his ear. Maybe he could… "Tell you what, go sit on that bench over there and I'll see if I can get you a smaller pair of pants really quick. I have a friend with a kid about your age. I'm sure he won't mind me borrowing a pair for you till I can get to the store in the morning."

"You don't have to," she sighed, hobbling to the bench and sitting down, "I have my shorts."

"Only one pair though."

"True." She sat the crutches to the side and shifted on the bench.

"I'll be right back."

He teleported to the Uchiha compound and darted to Fugaku's front door. It was late, but there was a light on so he knocked on it.

Mikoto's smiling face greeted him as the door opened. "Minato, what brings you here?"

He scratched his head and stepped inside when she moved to let him in. "This is going to sound bizarre, but could I borrow a pair of Itachi's pants?"

"Itachi's…" Fugaku appeared around the doorframe, "What on earth do you need a pair of Itachi's pants for?"

"My imouto has a broken ankle and is trying to walk on crutches. The pants she has on are too big and the stores are closed. I'm worried she'll fall and she won't let me carry her." He blurted it out way too fast, but he really needed some pants for her.

"Your imouto-san?" Mikoto frowned, confusion all over her face.

He rubbed his neck, heat flooding his cheeks, "Ah, that's a long story."

Mikoto smiled at him and patted his shoulder. "I'll go get a pair then, but I expect a visit and an explanation while you're home. Sounds like you're in a rush."

He sagged in relief. "Thank you."

Mikoto nodded and disappeared around the doorframe while Fugaku stepped into the entryway. "Why'd you come here of all places?"

"Itachi's about her size and age, so I figured this was the best place to go."

Fugaku nodded, rubbing his chin. "How are things on the frontline?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "it'd be easier if we could cut off the supply route, but I haven't gotten authorization for that yet."

"I'm sure you will," Fugaku smiled, patting his shoulder.

"Here you go," Mikoto handed him a pair of blue pants as she came into the entryway, "You'll bring them back?"

"Hai. I'll wash them first. Thank you." He bowed and was gone again before they could say anything.

Taishi jumped as he appeared in front of her, knelt, and tugged the too big pants off her.

"I can do it myself!" she screeched, face reddening and hitting his shoulder.

"Too bad," he grinned, lifting her and sliding the smaller pair of pants over her hips, "You're already hurt and I'm not letting you get hurt anymore on my watch."

She scowled at him and grabbed the crutches as he stepped back and lay Obito's pants over his arm. "Why are you so nice to me anyway?" she glowered, tucking the crutches under her arms and hoisting herself up, "I don't get it. I'm your prisoner. You shouldn't be treating me like this."

He walked beside her as she started to hobble down the road again. Should he tell her? His okaasan was going to know in a little while and he had an inkling as to how that was going to go, but how would Taishi take it? He fingered the fabric in his arm.

Oh well, may as well…

"Namikaze, Matsu, your otousan…" He clammed up, balling Obito's pants in his hand. This was harder than he thought. To admit something like this…

"What about him?"

Shit.

"He…he…" He gulped, closing his eyes and stopping. Why was this so damned hard?

"What?"

"Namikaze, Matsu…he…he was my otousan too," He pinched his lips together, something in his chest breaking as he opened his eyes. The proof of his otousan's actions stood stock still in front of him, shock all over her face. Tears pricked his eyes, but he wouldn't let them fall. Taishi needed him and he couldn't let his otousan's stupidity break what little family he had left apart. He'd die before that happened.

"You're my Aniki?" Taishi breathed, "My otouto's too?"

Huh?

"Your otouto?" Had his otousan slept with her okaasan twice?

Her eyes widened before a blush stained her cheeks. "I should…he's my twin…not my otouto exactly, but I'm older by an hour so I always call him otouto and…" She was rambling and stopped when he started laughing.

He couldn't help it. Twins. Her okaasan had twins. His otousan only cheated once!

"You have no idea how big of a relief that is," He gasped, clamping a hand on her shoulder as he inhaled, trying to calm himself down. He had an imouto and an otouto. He smiled despite himself and wrapped her in his arms, ignoring the crutches clinking against the cobblestone. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder.

Moisture hit his neck and a tiny voice whimpered, "Aniki," in his ear as she trembled in his arms. He frowned, rubbing her back as she cried. This wasn't relief coming from her. This was pain. So much pain… Why?

She was six. There shouldn't be any reason for her to be breaking so much. Was it because he'd told her she was his imouto or was there something else? Something she hadn't mentioned?

Whatever it was, he was going to find out, but first, he had to take her home.

He gulped. His okaasan was going to have a fit…


	4. Chapter 4

Waking up from surgery sucked.

She was groggy, there was an annoying beep in her ear, her leg was on fire, and she could have sworn she'd heard someone mention something about tossing her in the Academy again. What on earth was going on?

She managed to squint her eyes open and make out a silver blob next to the bed. Kakashi?

The blob moved and a feminine voice came from it, sounding like it was in a tunnel. "Are you sure, Hokage-sama? I mean she is Jonin already. Putting her back in the Academy-"

Chiori-baachan. Not Kakashi.

She sighed, closing her eyes again and ignoring the disappointment trying to creep into her muddled mess of existence. Was she tired or dead? Both?

"I understand your concern, Chiori-san," the Sandaime spoke this time, sounding like he was speaking through a stack of pillows, "However, she is Jonin rank in Suna. Not Konoha and we don't know what her abilities are. Suna has already refused to acknowledge that she was taken prisoner, so it's either integrate her or execute her and personally, I'd rather integrate. Though, doing so, is in direct violation of warfare protocol."

"I was just getting ready to say that," Minato murmured or maybe spoke. Either way sounded far quieter than his normal tone, "Are we allowed to break warfare protocol that way?"

"Considering lineage, I don't see where it would be a problem. Unless her okaasan steps in that is."

If she could have, she would have snorted. Her okaasan? Yeah. Right.

"And if she doesn't?" Ah. There's Kakashi.

"Then she becomes a citizen of Konoha," Was the Hokage smiling? It sure sounded like it.

"What if she does?" Minato sounded way too worried. Her fingers twitched. She wanted to comfort him, but couldn't move. Anesthesia was a wonderful thing…

"She can't go back to Suna," Something was brushing her bangs and Chiori sounded closer than she had. Was the woman sticking up for her? "From what Minato's said, something's happened to her and it seems to involve her okaasan. She hates that woman."

Hate. Loathe. Want to kill… she could have chosen a lot more words than hate. Ah well.

"Until we know more details, all we can do is hope her okaasan doesn't try to retrieve her. If she tells us more, she may fall under Child Protection Protocol, but I'm not certain Suna has such a thing so don't hold me to it."

"Suna doesn't," Wait. What did she say? It didn't even sound like words.

"You awake?" Minato's voice sounded closer now too and that might have been his hand on her head. It was big enough.

She grunted, not trusting whatever noise she'd made when she'd tried to speak. She pried her eyes open. Blond blob. So, it was him brushing her bangs from her face.

"Welcome back, imouto," the blob smiled…maybe. Those might have been lips. How long did it take for anesthesia to wear off anyway? The blobs and the muffled voices were giving her a headache. So was the beeping. Couldn't they shut that off?

The fire in her leg spread to her back and her leg seized up. She jolted up, knocking her head into Minato's and half screaming/half sobbing as she grabbed for the appendage.

"Kakashi, get the nurse!" Minato barked, wrapping her in his arms as she tried to get the cramp out. It hurt!

Make it stop!

Chiori rubbed her back while Minato held her. "It's alright, sweetie," she murmured next to Taishi's ear, other hand working to massage the area of her thigh she couldn't reach. "Her leg's cramped."

"Hang on," Minato let go of her and gathered some of his chakra in his hands before placing them on her thigh, "The medics can do better, but this should help a little."

Warmth invaded her leg and dulled the fire raging in it causing the muscles to start relaxing. "Thank you," she whimpered, sounding a bit more coherent this time.

"You're welcome," Minato smiled, pulling her into his warmth again. She sighed, snuggling into his chest like a cat to its mother. It was pathetic and childish, but she was a child so screw anyone who said anything about it. Besides, he was her Aniki and if she wanted to coddle him, she would.

Weird.

Less than a week since he'd told her the truth and she was already attached to his hip. She nibbled her lip. That was okay though, wasn't it?

She cleared her dry throat, focusing on the silver blob. "Do families…" she bit her lip. How was she supposed to ask?

"Do families what, sweetie?" the silver blob smiled, hand moving over her back.

"Is it…" She frowned. What exactly was she trying to say?

Wait.

What was she trying to figure out?

She plucked at Minato's shirt, chewing her lip. It'd been something about him…

Ah well.

"Where's Kakashi?" she asked instead.

Minato tilted her chin till she was face to blob with him. "Are you alright?"

Why was he morphing into a black octopus looking thing?

* * *

Anesthesia overdose.

He ripped his vest off, tossing it across the room and gripped the dresser. How, how had they been so stupid?

They'd nearly killed her!

"Minato?"

He jerked and rubbed the back of his neck as heat flooded his cheeks. "Sorry, Kushina, been a strange day."

"I heard. How's she doing?" She sat on the bed and tucked her feet under her before digging some takeout containers from Ichiraku out of the bag next to her.

He took a container and chopsticks from her. "Better since they figured out why she passed out like she did." He pulled the container open and dug into his ramen.

"You know for only knowing her a little over a month, you're an awfully protective Aniki," Kushina smiled at him, gaze flitting around the room, "Even changed your room for her too. Didn't know you were a fan of purple."

He swallowed his noodles. "This will be her room before long. Might as well make it comfortable for her."

"Will your okaasan be able to handle raising another one at her age?"

He choked on the noodles. He hadn't even thought of that!

"You didn't talk to them about it, did you?"

"No," he rasped, coughing and swallowing the rest of his noodles. He hadn't talked to his okaasan or Taishi about where she was going to live if she stayed in Konoha and Kushina was right. His okaasan couldn't handle raising another one at her age. He bit his lip. Did that mean he and Kushina would have to take the girl in when they moved?

How were they going to handle her?

"No."

What?

Kushina glared at him. "I know what you're thinking and while I like your imouto, I don't want her living with us."

"But-"

"Don't you dare say it'd be good practice for when we have our own either."

There went that argument. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Why can't she live with us then?"

"The entire point of us moving in together is to have time to ourselves without somebody hanging over our shoulder," Kushina sighed, swirling her ramen, "At least till we have our own kids anyway."

He ran a hand over his face. Taishi couldn't stay with him or his okaasan…what was he supposed to do? He didn't want her on the street and didn't want her back in Suna.

He bit his lip. Maybe the Hokage could help?

It wasn't unheard of for kids to live on their own at Taishi's age. Didn't the village have a program to help the youngsters with rent and necessities too?

"I'll talk to the Hokage."

Kushina smiled. "Good. Now, eat."

* * *

His reason for being here was awful to begin with, but the look on the Sandaime's face made him want to shrink into a ball and bury himself in the ground. He hadn't even said anything yet and the man looked ready to rip someone to shreds. How was he going to take his request?

"We have an issue." His tone was hard, cold and sent a chill down his spine. What happened?

Hiruzen held a piece of paper out to him.

"Her okaasan wants her executed!?" The paper went up in flames and he slammed his hands on the desk, "Hokage-sama, you can't!"

"I won't, but I want to know why a parent would want their child executed instead of returned."

He shook his head. "I don't know and I'm not sure I want to know."

Hiruzen packed his pipe and lit it. "The problem is her okaasan was not the only one requesting her execution. I received forty-eight requests yesterday and that's on top the fifty or so from last week. Twelve of which were from the Kazekage's council members."

"Do they say why?" Was his imouto a criminal? Was that why so many were wanting her dead? He gulped. He hoped not.

"No. That bothers me worse than the requests. They aren't giving me a reason despite my requesting one every time a request comes in."

He pinched his chin. If she was a criminal, somebody would have said so. If she wasn't…

Why were so many calling for her execution?

"They haven't asked for her back?"

"No."

That didn't make any sense either. They didn't want her back, yet wanted her executed…

Could that be why she'd broke down on him that night?

Had her okaasan not been the only one mistreating her?

"Anyway, you wanted something didn't you?" Hiruzen's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

He nodded, gulping. "I was thinking that my okaasan is getting old and with me getting ready to move in with Kushina…" He closed his eyes. He couldn't ask. He couldn't. She was just a kid.

"She needs somewhere to go," Hiruzen finished.

He nodded. He was lower than dirt…

Hiruzen hummed in his throat and shuffled some papers around on his desk. "Well, I can put her under Child Housing Protocol, but can it wait until her ankle has healed? I'd hate to leave her incapacitated with no help."

"Hai." He swallowed the bile trying to rise in his throat. This entire situation was wrong. His imouto had half a village after her head and was going to be living on her own too. Why was fate such a cruel bitch and why was he being used as part of her plan?


	5. Chapter 5

He was acting strange.

Well, stranger than normal anyway. She'd gotten released from the hospital three days ago and Minato hadn't left her side or let her walk on her own since. What was his problem?

He was clinging, desperation almost seeping through his pores. Even carrying her through the market, he was keeping an almost painful hold on her back. Had she missed something?

A flash of silver.

"Kakashi!" Why was she so happy to see him? She pinched her lips together. She barely interacted with him. What was wrong with her?

"Taishi-san," he nodded to her as he stopped behind Minato, "Did you need something?"

Did she?

A hand squeezed her side a bit harder than it should have and she winced. Actually… "Are you busy, Kakashi-kun? I think Aniki's needing a break from me."

"No I don't," Minato frowned at her.

"Well, I need one from you." He flinched. Good. Served him right. She turned back to Kakashi. "Can you help me?"

"I have some time." He turned his back to her and held his arms behind him.

Now, if Minato would just let her go…

Minato chewed his lip like he wanted nothing more than to glue her to his side, but he finally turned and helped her on Kakashi's back. "Don't be gone long." Really, what was wrong with him?

She nodded as Kakashi tightened his hold and stood up straight.

"Where to?"

"Anywhere, just get me away from him," she whispered in his ear, "He's stifling lately."

He nodded and picked a direction to walk in while she tugged the straps on his shoulder. "Still not in a Chunin vest I see."

"I'm being promoted to Jonin in a week."

"Really? That's great!" She hugged him, ignoring the strangled noise from his throat, "You'll do awesome as a Jonin."

"You think so?"

"Yep. Much better than me, that's for sure," she sighed, fiddling with the strap again, "I couldn't even move a heavy trunk and here you are carrying me through the village and not even sweating. I'm jealous."

"You shouldn't be."

"Too bad. I am."

He snorted and shook his head. "I heard you're going to the Academy."

"I start tomorrow. I guess Konoha has different standards for their Jonin than Suna does," she shrugged, leaning forward and flinging her arms over his shoulders, "Thank you for teaching me to read by the way."

"How are you doing with that?"

"I'm struggling with big words like anesthesia, but I'm doing okay I think. I can tell the difference between stores by the signs now." Speaking of which… "Hey, can we go to Ichiraku? I'm kind of hungry."

He grimaced. "I'm not a fan of ramen."

"Oh." she pinched her lips "Dango?"

"Sure."

She messed with the knot on his headband for a few minutes before reaching and tightening her own. This was nice. She liked her Aniki, but lately, he'd been so strapped to her, she hadn't had time to breathe. With Kakashi, she could relax a little. He was quiet for the most part, but his voice was something she could listen to all day so she tried to get him to talk as much as she could when she had the chance.

"My Eternal Rival Kakashi! Have you come to join us for dango?"

What.

Is.

That?

She scrubbed her eyes. That boy was NOT wearing spandex…was he?

He was.

Holy…

"Who?" she blurted as she slid off Kakashi's back and he helped her to one of the benches in the dango shop.

Kakashi sighed. "Taishi, Might, Gai." he introduced, waving his hand to each of them respectively and taking a seat next to her. "Gai, Namikaze, Taishi."

"Minato's imouto. I wondered what she looked like," a girl with red eyes smiled at her while she swung her casted leg over the bench and tucked it under the table.

"Hello," she smiled at her, the guy with the senbon needle in his mouth, and the teen with an unlit cigarette hanging in his teeth. Spandex frog boy slid onto the bench next to her with a smile that reminded her of the snake woman at the clothing store back home.

Creepy.

"So, why are you with Kakashi and not Minato today?" the girl asked, sliding a menu to her.

"I needed a break from Aniki," she shrugged, glancing at the menu. That symbol was…what? She drew a blank. "Kakashi-kun, what's that symbol again?" she pointed to it.

"Shoyu."

"Right," she nodded, smiling at the waitress as she appeared behind the red eyed girl. "Yaki Dango with a side of Shoyu please."

The waitress nodded and took the others' orders while she read the menu some more. A giddy feeling filled her chest. She was reading!

She flung herself at Kakashi who startled, but wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she squealed in his chest.

"What for?" he wheezed.

Oops.

She chuckled and let go of him so he could breathe. "For teaching me to read. I know I thanked you earlier, but I actually knew what the menu said this time!"

"You're welcome," he smiled, patting her head, "Now, we just need to get you writing and you'll be all set."

"You taught her to read?" Spandex frog boy asked.

Kakashi shrugged. "Minato-sensei, Rin, and Obito helped too."

"That's usually something a parent does," Senbon boy mumbled, staring at her suspiciously.

"Who are you?" Distraction. She was not talking about her okaasan with these people.

"Genma," Senbon introduced before pointing at the other two, "Kurenai and Asuma. We're Kakashi's old classmates."

She smiled. Weirdos. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. So, you had to get away from your Aniki, huh?" Asuma smiled at her.

She nodded and crinkled her nose. "He's been clingy since I got out of the hospital."

"How?" Kakashi asked, shifting to look at her.

"He's carrying me everywhere and won't leave my side at all when we're at home…. actually, Chiori-san's been glued to me too…" She pinched her chin. She had to be missing something…

"Maybe they're just worried?" Kurenai suggested, "I'd heard you almost died while you were in the hospital. Something about an overdose?"

"They gave me too much anesthesia when they operated on my ankle." That wasn't it though. There was something else. Something she hadn't been told yet…

But what?

She had to go back to the Academy, Suna refused to take her back, and she was becoming a citizen of Konoha…

None of that should have caused her Aniki to act that way.

What was she missing?

* * *

She didn't know why, but she slid her Jonin vest on and zipped it up. She was starting the Academy today and some part of her demanded she wear it and her headband. At least, she hadn't added her cloak too. That had to count for something, right?

Sighing, she situated her crutches and stood from Minato's bed. White shorts, sandal, black shirt, vest, kunai holster, bandages, headband, red braid on the left shoulder, crutches, and cast…

Okay. She was ready.

Maybe…

She chewed her lip.

All she had to do was hobble through the apartment and go out the door. So, why didn't she want to move?

"You ready?" Chiori questioned, appearing around the doorframe and smiling at her.

She shook her head, gripping the handles of her crutches. Why was she so terrified? It was school. She did well in school. There was no reason for her to be shaking so bad.

Chiori frowned and disappeared around the doorframe only to be replaced with Minato a moment later.

"What's wrong?" he asked, kneeling in front of her and cupping her cheek.

"I don't know." She chewed her lip, rubbing her cheek against his warm hand. Why was she so afraid?

He cupped both her cheeks. "It'll be fine. I promise," he frowned at her and brushed a hand through her bangs, "Did something happen the last time you went to school?"

Was that it?

Was that the reason she was afraid to go now?

It made sense after…

She slammed her eyes shut. She was not thinking about that again. Period. This wasn't Suna. The kids were different and she didn't have the same sensei either. She'd be fine.

Blowing out a breath, she opened her eyes and plastered a smile on her lips. "I'm ready."

"You sure?"

No.

She nodded anyway and waited till he stood. He was still frowning and watching her closely, but she had to do this. Gripping the handles of the crutches, she started for the apartment door.

She could do this.

It was school.

In Konoha.

She'd be fine.

Opening the apartment door, a genuine smile broke out as Kakashi, Rin, and Obito appeared on the other side. Kakashi smiled at her before he turned, offering her his back. Her cheeks flushed. "That's really not necessary. I can walk."

"Too bad, brat. We're taking you to the Academy whether you like it or not," Obito grinned at her, poking his finger in her shoulder.

She squeaked as Minato lifted her and sat her on Kakashi's back. "Hey!"

"Don't argue. Just go," Minato chuckled, handing her crutches to Rin.

She stuck her tongue out at him and tightened her legs around Kakashi's waist, throwing her arms over his shoulders. "You owe me ramen for this, you jerk."

"Hai, hai," Minato chuckled, mussing her hair, "Have fun."

She snorted, tightening her grip on Kakashi's shoulders as he leapt off the walkway of the apartment building. "Show off!" she laughed when he landed in the street without jostling her at all.

He shrugged. "You'll learn how to do that eventually."

"Yeah, you might be better at it," Rin grinned, winking at her as she walked alongside the two of them.

"Maybe," she inhaled, a warmth settling into her chest. Somehow, these three had shoved her earlier fear away and now, she was ready for whatever the Academy threw at her.

Bring it on.

She grinned, snapping and unsnapping the strap on Kakashi's shoulder. "You guys are awesome, you know that?"

"Oh yeah?" Obito grinned at her.

She nodded. "I was terrified about this, but now I'm not."

"We know," Kakashi smiled over his shoulder.

"That's why we came to walk you to school." Rin smiled. "Figured you needed a little boost this morning,"

"Thank you."

"No problem, brat," Obito chuckled, tucking his arms behind his head, "Happy to help."

She shook her head. She probably looked like a grinning idiot, but they'd made her day so she didn't care. She redid the snap on Kakashi's strap as he stopped near the Academy door and bent to let her off. Obito supported her until Rin got her crutches situated and she smiled at three.

"Really, thank you."

"If we aren't off on a mission this afternoon, we'll be back to get you," Rin promised, patting her shoulder, "Then you can complain about how bored you were."

She nodded, turning toward the door. "Sounds good. See you later then."

"Good luck!" Obito called as she hobbled her way inside. She stopped to wave at him before she continued toward her classroom, ignoring the curious glances around her.

2-F.

Nodding as she spotted the sign above the door of her assigned class, she inhaled and gripped her crutches before shuffling inside. She stopped. This was…

Different.

She pinched her lips together. The seats were raised in rows toward the ceiling not stretched across the floor to the back wall like they'd been in Suna. Kids were gathered together in groups chatting with each other instead of seated in the chairs and the sensei was seated on his desk drinking coffee, not barking at the kids to start their work.

Weird…

"You must be Namikaze-san," the sensei greeted when he noticed she was looking at him.

"Hai."

The sensei nodded, plucking a piece of paper from his desk, "I had you in the back row, but they didn't tell me you were injured. Give me a minute."

"Okay."

He scribbled something down. "Alright, I'm going to put you between Iruka and Itachi I think," he jutted his pen toward two boys seated in the first row by the window. "Will you be able to get up the step?"

She nodded. It was a bit difficult, but it was one step. She could do it.

"Alright then, take your seat and welcome to class," the sensei smiled at her before picking up his coffee mug again.

She hobbled to the desk at the far side of the room and smiled at the two boys seated there. "Sensei said I'm supposed to sit between you two."

The one with the scar across his nose jumped to his feet, a wide smile on his face. "We'll help you. I'm Umino, Iruka. What happened to your leg?"

The other one came around the desk and slid his shoulder under hers. "I'm Uchiha, Itachi."

"Namikaze, Taishi. Nice to meet you both," she smiled as Iruka slid under her arm and the two hauled her up the step. "I could have gotten up on my own. Thank you though."

"No problem," Iruka smiled, setting her crutches against the row behind her as Itachi scooted her chair in. "So, what happened to your leg?"

"I broke my ankle and had surgery done on it last week."

"How?" a kid behind her asked.

Eavesdrop much?

"I tripped on a log when I was protecting a Daimyo from Konoha nin out to assassinate him. He was killed. I was captured and here I am."

"Hey, sensei, what's assasnate mean?" the kid across from Iruka asked.

Right.

Six-year olds…

She scratched her ear. How had she forgotten her age group didn't use words like assassinate?

"Assa…what?" the sensei tilted his head.

She sighed. "Assassinate, sensei. I forgot they aren't used to big words like that."

His brow shot up. "Do you know what it means?"

"Murder…kill…slaughter…destroy…usually in secret and as quietly as possible. Assassination is a critical skill for any shinobi as we're often assigned missions that require both murder and stealth to complete."

Silence.

She flinched. Less than ten minutes and she was already drawing attention to herself…

The sensei finally moved, shifting on the desk and yanking open a drawer. She bit her lip as he rifled through a folder and looked up at her.

"Okay. You are six…" he frowned, scratching his head, "Taishi-chan, can you tell me what the most dangerous mission for a shinobi is?"

"Are you talking triple S rank or unranked?"

His lips thinned. "What's the difference between the two?"

"Triple S and unranked missions are typically assigned to ANBU. Unranked usually to an ANBU specializing in Interrogation, Infiltration, and/or Assassination. Triple S rank is the category the more dangerous Rogue Nin fall under and any ANBU with enough experience can be assigned those missions."

She chewed her lip as he leapt off the desk, snapped at the students to start their workbooks, and left the room. What had she done?

She groaned, burying her face in her hands. Six-year olds were not supposed to know that stuff. Her first day and it was Suna all over again. She was so dead.

"How'd you know all that stuff, Taishi-chan?" Iruka questioned, poking her arm.

She blew out a breath and lay her hands on the desk. "I had a neighbor who insisted…taught me about being a shinobi and everything it ent…was about." Six. They're six. No big words.

A brush of chakra alerted her to the sensei before he appeared in front of the desk. Iruka and Itachi squeaked and jerked backward in their chairs. She frowned.

The sensei hummed, setting a stack of papers and a book in front of her. "You knew I was here, didn't you?"

She nodded.

"Interesting," he bent till he was level with her and shuffled some of the papers around. "Taishi, these are some tests the higher grades take. I want you to work on them today while I teach the class and hand them in before you leave, okay?"

Crap.

She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood and plucked one of the tests off the desk. Big words. The tests were chock full of big words. Maybe she could… She squinted. What was the little umbrella looking symbol again?

Heat flooded her cheeks and she held the test out to him. "I can't read that…" she admitted quietly, ducking her head.

"You…can't read it?" the sensei breathed, taking the test from her, "Are you sure?"

"I'm still learning to read eight to ten letter words. I haven't gotten to big words like those yet." She needed a hole to swallow her. Now.

"Not even assassination?"

She shook her head.

"Wow. Genius can't read," a kid piped up from somewhere, laughing.

"Hey! You can't either, Shin!" Iruka hollered, "Leave her alone!"

Why was she so stupid…

"It's alright, Taishi-chan," the sensei cooed, kneeling till she could see him, "You're a verbal learner and there's nothing wrong with that. Reading is one thing we teach in this class and I'm more than happy to help you learn."

She scrubbed her cheek. "You are?"

"Hai," he smiled at her and ran his fingers through her bangs, "You know a lot, much more than even the highest grade does. We just need to get you to the point that you can show us that on paper and not verbally, okay?"

She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Okay."

"Good. Now, I'm going to make one rule for you though. Unless another student doesn't answer the question, I want you to keep the answer to yourself. Most of the stuff we cover in here is stuff you probably already know and we need to give them the opportunity to learn it too."

She nodded. She could do that.

The sensei gathered the papers and books off the desk and dropped them on his before bringing her a stack of workbooks. "Now, these are the books the other kids are working on. Keep up with us if you can, but if you have trouble, let me know."

"Okay."

The sensei went back to the front of the room and she found the green workbook like Itachi and Iruka had. Her nose crinkled. What on earth is Math?

* * *

"Hey, brat!"

Obito.

She grinned as Kakashi, Obito, and Rin dropped from the tree she was under, startling Iruka and Itachi next to her, and sat down with them.

"Making friends I see," Obito chuckled, nudging Itachi in the leg.

Itachi popped him in the head. "Stop or I'll tell my otousan."

Obito snorted and crossed his arms over his chest.

Kakashi shook his head and held a bento out to her. "Minato-sensei said you didn't bring a lunch."

"I forgot all about it." She took the bento and chopsticks from him and moved her workbook from her lap. "Thank you."

"So, how's your first day?" Rin asked.

She chewed the daikon in her mouth and swallowed, "What's Math exactly? They gave us these workbooks, but I don't get it." She jutted her chopstick toward the green book in front of her.

Kakashi picked the book up and scanned through a few pages. "Did you not have math in Suna?"

"I think I did like two pages the whole time I was there."

"We'll have to get you caught up then because most of these answers are wrong," Kakashi murmured, showing the book to Rin.

Rin nodded. "Seven plus five is twelve. Eight plus seven is fifteen."

"Oh. I was guessing." She crammed a piece of Nigiri in her mouth while they browsed through her book.

"You don't know how to add, Taishi-chan?" Iruka asked, looking up from his workbook.

She shrugged. "Never needed to."

"Yeah, math's useless on the battlefield," Obito mumbled, falling in the grass with his arms behind his head.

"Is not. You have to use math to calculate your enemy's moves and how long it'll take you to counter them you know," Rin sighed, flicking him in the foot.

"Most tactics require some form of math," Kakashi said, handing her book back to her, "We'll get you caught up so you can keep up with your class. We'll let Minato-sensei know about it too."

"Thanks."

"Any other problems?" Rin questioned, tucking her feet under her and smiling.

"if you could pound Shinjin, the jackass, for her, it'd be great. He's been mean to her all day," Iruka frowned, stealing a daikon from her bento.

Kakashi quirked a brow. "Uchiha, Shinjin?"

Itachi nodded. "My cousin's known to be mean to girls and he's been harsh with her today."

"Is that so?" Obito jumped to his feet and spun on his heel, "Shin! Here. Now!"

"Aniki!" Shinjin hollered, bolting across the Academy yard.

Aniki? Obito was Shin's Aniki? She gasped as Obito knocked Shinjin flat on his back before the boy could register what happened.

"How many times has chichi told you to be nice?" Obito growled, stomping toward the fallen form.

Shin paled, backing away from Obito. "I was!"

"You weren't or Itachi and Iruka wouldn't have told us that you've been mean to Taishi today. You leave her alone or I'm going to drown your stuffed raccoon in the storm drain. Got it?" He sneered, grabbing Shinjin's shirt and yanking him off the ground, "And chichi's going to hear about this, so be ready for a lecture and chores when you get home."

"H…Hai," Shinjin gulped.

"Now, apologize to her and don't let me hear you've been mean to a girl again. Men are never mean to girls." Obito frowned, dropping Shin on his feet.

"Sorry!" Shinjin squeaked and bolted before she could respond.

Obito brushed his hands off and plopped back in his spot. "That should do it, but let me know if he bothers you again."

"Okay." She sighed, handing her bento to Iruka who kept stealing the daikon from it. She was done with it anyway.

"Aside from Math, are you doing okay with everything else?" Kakashi asked.

She nodded. "Though, the teacher wanted to give me some tests from the higher classes this morning. I couldn't read them though."

"You just need more practice, Taishi-chan," Itachi smiled at her, "We'll help."

"Yeah. I still get stuck on words sometimes too," Iruka grinned, mouth full of nigiri.

"See? We're rooting for ya, kiddo," Rin grinned, rubbing her head.

She smiled.

No.

This was definitely not Suna.

* * *

 _A week later…_

Rain.

Her neighbor had told her rain was comforting during times of grief once.

She hadn't believed him.

She still didn't.

The rain wasn't helping her.

The rain wasn't helping Kakashi, Rin, or her Aniki either.

It wasn't helping Genma, Gai, Kurenai, Asuma, Chiori-baachan, or any of the shinobi gathered to mourn Obito.

Instead, most of the people around her were angry, whispering terrible things about Kakashi as he stood at the front of the crowd with his head bowed and shoulders slumped. Even Rin, the girl she considered a friend, had yelled at him, smacked him, and blamed him for something beyond his control.

It wasn't his fault.

She tugged Minato's sleeve causing him to look down at her. "Take me to him please."

He nodded, tightening his hold on her and shifting past a few shinobi in the rows in front of them. He stopped behind Kakashi and hesitated for a moment before sitting her on Kakashi's back.

Kakashi's hands clamped onto her automatically as she gripped his shoulders and wrapped her legs around him.

"Taishi…" He'd been crying, his voice was broken and his right eye was puffy. Why had no one tried to comfort him? Why were they treating him so badly?

She wanted to ask, but she squeezed his shoulders instead. "I'm here."

"Thank you." His hands tightened on her legs for a moment before his gaze shifted to the picture in front of them. She rested her chin on his shoulder, keeping a tight hold on him.

She couldn't bring Obito back for him, but she could keep an eye on him for Obito.

The goggle wearing idiot was probably calling her a stupid brat right now…


	6. Chapter 6

Two hundred and forty-seven.

Minato frowned, shoving the stack of execution requests to the side of Hiruzen's desk. "There has to be something about her. Something we don't know."

Hiruzen nodded. "The question is what."

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. In two months, there'd been five hundred and thirty requests for his imouto's execution, yet not one of them explained why.

And her own okaasan had filed eight times!

He scratched his head. "Maybe it's a medical reason? I can have the hospital run some tests on her while we're there tomorrow."

Hiruzen blew out a puff of smoke. "Good idea." He turned in his chair and slid open a desk drawer, pulling a file from it, "Now, how soon do you want her moved? I have her on the Child Housing Protocol list, have an account opened for her, and have located an apartment near the Academy. Rent and bills have already been paid for the month, so she'll only need to use this month's funds to get whatever she needs for the place."

His stomach dropped to his toes. She already had an apartment?

"Here's the key and address," Hiruzen smiled, holding a key and slip of paper out to him.

He couldn't take that.

If he did…

He swallowed the bile threatening his throat. Taking that key meant she would leave. Taking that key meant he wouldn't see her at night or in the morning. Taking that key meant…

He was an asshole.

He opened his hand, the metal of the key glinting in the office light. She'd understand, right?

He gulped, clenching the key in his fingers. She was going to hate him…

* * *

A gasp yanked his attention from the key in his hand to the prone figure on the bed and the doctor and nurse hovering over his imouto. He was on his feet the minute the doctor paled. "What?"

"This is…" the nurse gasped, hands hovering over Taishi's middle.

"What is this?" the doctor frowned, glaring at something on Taishi.

He clutched the key and approached the bed. What had they…

"Oh shit…"

He closed his eyes, reopened them. It was still there. The ink marks resembling a tattoo with a pentagram encased in a circle surrounded by five small flames on her stomach were still there, glowing innocently with a soft blue light.

No.

He shook his head. It wasn't possible.

How in the hell had they not noticed his imouto was a Jinchuriki!?

"Could somebody tell me why you're all so fascinated with my belly?" He winced. Taishi was strapped to the bed. Of course, she couldn't see what they were looking at.

Maybe he could knock himself out and wake up from this nightmare. This seal wasn't like Kushina's. This seal was stronger.

Much, much stronger.

They hadn't even noticed she was a Jinchuriki. Whoever put this on her meant to seal the demon in her behind so many gates, it'd take a miracle and an exorcism to get it out.

He traced the pattern on her stomach. Did she even know?

"Aniki, that tickles!" Taishi giggled, trying to jerk away from his finger. She had asked what they were looking at…

Maybe she didn't.

"Sorry, imouto, you had some dirt on you," he plastered a smile on his face and tugged her shirt down.

She didn't look like she believed him for a second, but she shrugged and wiggled against the bindings. "Can I get up now?"

"Sure," He stabbed the nurse in the arm with his finger harder than necessary, but the nurse wasn't going to move out of her shocked state otherwise, "Why don't you go get a snack while I talk to the doctor for a minute?"

Taishi rubbed her wrists, glaring at him. "Why are you trying to get me out of the room? Is something wrong?"

Shit.

He forgot he wasn't dealing with a normal six-year-old.

He rubbed his neck. "No, no. I just need to talk to him about payment that's all."

"And I'm the Hokage," she scowled at him, crossing her arms over her chest, "What's wrong with me?"

He sighed, leaning over her till his hands were on the bed beside her. Maybe a pep talk could get him out of the corner she was backing him in. "Listen to me. There is nothing. Absolutely nothing wrong with you and don't you ever let anyone say there is." He tucked a stray red hair behind her ear. "You're perfect, imouto."

"Are you sick? Cause you've been acting weird all day and this is only making it worse."

He flinched. Damn it. "No, I'm not sick and neither are you, but I do need to talk to the doctor alone, okay?"

She scowled, but grabbed the crutch beside the bed. "Fine, but you owe me ramen."

He smiled and helped her off the bed. "Hai, hai." She hissed as she put weight on her freshly uncast foot and clutched the crutch tightly before limping her way toward the door. Once she left and it was closed, he rounded on the two left in the room.

"Not one word of this gets to anyone or I'll hunt you both down and mangle you so bad it'll take years for them to figure out who you are."

He spun on his heel and left the room catching up to Taishi in the lobby. She was limping, but at least she was walking with two feet and a crutch now. He frowned.

Why had it taken her so long to heal?

Being a Jinchuriki should have healed her within a few weeks, why had it taken three months and a surgery?

Unless…

He pinched his chin. The seal? Did that have something to do with it?

He'd have to talk to Kushina, but, for now, he had a little girl to disappoint…

Kami, help him.

* * *

Her stuffed wolf wasn't very good company. It sat on the bed, staring at her with bright blue eyes. It didn't move, didn't talk, didn't braid her hair, didn't help her with her homework…

It wasn't Minato or Chiori-baachan.

She frowned. When had she gotten so attached to her Aniki and his okaasan anyway?

She'd had someone else cooking meals, making her bed, braiding her hair, tucking her in…

Now, she was doing all of it by herself again.

It was weird and way too quiet.

She pinched her lips together. It didn't help that Minato had been appointed Hokage and Kakashi had disappeared somewhere in ANBU either. She couldn't go visit them now and she didn't even want to think about Rin.

Maybe she could go visit Itachi or Iruka for a bit?

Nodding to herself, she slipped off the bed, tucked her wolf in the purple blanket, and headed for the stool next to the closet. Her studio apartment was set up for an adult, not a child and she couldn't have been more grateful to her Aniki for investing in stools and small ladders to help her reach things. Though, she should have been mad at him for making her move here in the first place.

She wasn't.

She'd disrupted his and his okaasan's lives for four months and, while she wasn't happy, she wasn't mad at them for making her move either. She did miss her Aniki's snoring and Chiori-baachan's Udon though. Maybe she could have the woman teach her to make it?

She grabbed her key off the hook by the door and slipped her sandals on before tying her Suna headband around her neck. She didn't know why she still wore it, but habit was a tricky thing to break so she kept wearing it and her vest everywhere she went.

After locking her door, she leapt off the walkway and landed on the street below, cushioning the blow to her legs with her chakra. Kakashi wasn't the only one capable of showing off and she got a small thrill out of startling the fruit stand merchant too. His face was just too amusing.

She grinned at the merchant, shoved her hands in her pockets, and headed for the Uchiha compound. If she was lucky, Itachi was home and she could talk him into kunai practice for a bit. She'd gotten a little rusty.

The scent of rotten cabbage hit her nose like a tidal wave before she was crammed into the spandex clad armpit it was coming from. Could Spandex frog boy not wear deodorant? She gagged, shifting her face till she could get a whiff of fresh air.

"Ah, Taishi, our lovely blossom, we were looking for you," Gai grinned at her as he crushed her against his side.

"Oh yeah?" she wheezed. She was not going to puke…she was not going to puke…

"Gai, let her breathe, man," Asuma yanked her from the cabbage and stuffed her into an ashy smell instead.

Was she a ragdoll or something? Why were they cramming her into their sides today?

"Kakashi's at the hospital and he's being stubborn about visitors. Could you go talk to him, Tai?" Kurenai asked from somewhere behind Asuma's arm.

"Is he okay?"

"Broken collarbone, but the nurse says he's fine," Asuma assured her, patting her shoulder.

She sighed, "I'll go talk to him."

"Excellent. We shall wait for your return here then, lovely blossom. Good luck!" Gai grinned as Asuma pushed her toward the doors of the hospital.

When had they gotten here?

Shaking her head, she went to the nurse's desk and smiled at the women behind it. "I'm Namikaze, Taishi. I'm here to see Hatake, Kakashi."

The nurse she'd spoken to frowned. "He's not- "The other nurse elbowed her in the ribs. "-Hey!"

"That's the Yondaime's imouto. If she wants to see him, let her," the older nurse hissed, glaring at the younger one.

"But-"

"Do you want the Yondaime in here firing you for refusing? I know I don't. Come on, Namikaze-san, I'll take you to his room," the older nurse stood and led her toward the door to the left of the desk.

"Thank you." Being Minato's imouto apparently had some perks…

Wait.

Was that why she'd been forced here?

She scowled as the nurse opened Kakashi's door for her. They were so dead.

The nurse left the room and she headed for the bed. Kakashi was asleep and had a splint and a sling on his left shoulder and arm. She smiled at him and brushed a hair away from his scarred eye. "You idiot," she whispered before pulling a chair over and sitting beside the bed.

He was getting taller and filling out more too. Maybe being in ANBU was a good thing for him?

Or maybe it was just puberty.

She shrugged, shifting in the chair and putting her feet on the rail beneath the bed. Might as well settle in. He didn't look like he was waking up anytime soon.

* * *

Minato drummed his fingers on the desk, waiting on the man to say something. The geezer didn't though. Instead, he was focused on both the drawing Minato had given him and the books in front of him.

The man was supposedly an expert on Fuinjutsu and had the ability to tell what seal had been used on what demon. Though, by the look on the man's face, he was just as stumped as he and Hiruzen were. Not good.

The man flipped to the last page in the book he was reading and sighed. "Do you have anything older in the archives?"

"Older?"

The man nodded. "This seal is like the one used on the Six Tail. However, the differences are also vast. This one is a pentagram surrounded by five flames. The Six Tail's is a star surrounded by four circles. I'm curious if this one isn't an older version of the Six Tail's seal."

"You think she may have the Six Tail then?" Hiruzen questioned, leaning forward on his cushion.

Minato shook his head. "The Six Tail is in Kumo. She's from Suna."

The man nodded. "It's not the Six Tail. This seal is more powerful than the Six Tail's."

"How?"

The man looked at him and flipped the paper around. "The circle surrounding the star and the five flames show the caster meant to suppress the demon's chakra enough to make others, possibly even the Jinchuriki, unaware of its existence."

He pinched his chin. "Could the seal also suppress the demon's healing ability?"

"Hai," the man nodded, "The point in this seal is secrecy. Had the demon's accelerated healing been left to the Jinchuriki, the demon would risk exposure. The caster made sure that wouldn't happen."

"So why are you needing older books if you already know all that by looking at the seal?" Hiruzen had a point.

"I have a feeling that this seal is containing something much older and much darker than even the Nine Tail. Otherwise, the caster wouldn't have gone to such lengths to keep it hidden," the man frowned, setting the drawing down, "But I won't know what without older accounts and stories on the Tailed Beasts. These books don't go past the Nine Tail."

"You mean the Ten Tail."

"No. My grandfather mentioned an old legend of a Twelve Tail Wolf that resided in the Canyon of Madness in the heart of Wind Country once. Of course, I've never found proof of such a thing and there is no Canyon of Madness anywhere, but, with this seal and the girl being from Sunagakure, I'm wondering if there isn't some truth to the old nutcase's story."

Hiruzen shifted off his cushion and stood, a frown etched into his face, "We can search the archives, but I've never heard of a Twelve Tail so it may be pointless."

"Never hurts to look though," Minato pointed out. He frowned after the two left his office. If she had something like that in her…

No wonder there were so many execution requests coming in.

* * *

He'd almost forgotten she was a kid.

Minato chuckled as he pushed Taishi on the swing. The girl climbed the monkey bars with her feet, but insisted he push her on the swing. It was cute.

"Higher!" she hollered and he obliged. He didn't get much time with his imouto these days, but he savored what time he got and pushing her on the swing made him forget everything else for a little while. So, he was staying put and ignoring the ANBU tickling the edge of his senses and the assistant shifting back and forth on his feet at the edge of the playground.

They could wait.

His heart leapt to his throat as the swing suddenly flipped and Taishi toppled out of it. He dashed forward only to skid to a stop as she stared at him upside down from the top bar of the swing set, a scowl on her tiny lips. He breathed a sigh of relief. She'd latched onto it with her feet. How had he'd forgotten she wasn't a normal six-year-old?

Speaking of which… "When's your birthday, Tai?"

She quirked a brow. "August eighth." She flipped off the bar of the swing set and landed on her feet, tossing her braid over her left shoulder. "Why?"

"I was curious." He shrugged. Her birthday was in three weeks then. He'd have to get a party planned for her…

Her gaze dropped to the dirt as her brow furrowed. "At least, I think it's the eighth and I'm not sure if it's in August or December…March? No…that's not right…when?" She chewed her lip, glaring at the ground.

His breath caught and he dropped to his knee in front of her. "You don't know your birthday?"

She shook her head. "Nobody ever mentioned it, but the snake woman would give me a new pair of pants on August eighth every year. I thought maybe she did it for my birthday since I'd seen other kids get gifts on theirs."

He smiled at her and rubbed her head. "Well, we'll say it's August eighth then."

"Okay. Can I go play with Itachi?" she asked, pointing behind him.

He smiled, waving to Mikoto as she entered the playground with Itachi in tow. "Sure. I've got to go back to the office though," he said as he turned back to her, "Will you be okay?"

She nodded, burying herself in his arms. "Thanks for playing with me for a bit. I've missed you, Aniki."

"I missed you too," he sighed, squeezing her tight.

She grinned and ran off to Itachi while he dusted his robe off.

Pausing by the tree on the edge of the playground, he caught the Dog masked ANBU's gaze. "Watch her closely."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

He nodded, heading for his assistant. Back to work…

Joy.

* * *

Taishi frowned, leaning forward and resting her chin on Kakashi's right shoulder. "You've got a headache again."

"Hai." He finished adjusting his headband over his left eye and wrapped his arm around her leg again. "Sorry."

"It's fine. I'm just not used to it yet."

"Sorry."

"Ugh. Would you stop apologizing!? I'm not them. I don't want to hear it." His whole attitude these days was like a kicked puppy and it was driving her insane. "You know, Obito would say something along the lines of you're acting like a baby and you need to man up. Men don't act like babies."

Kakashi chuckled, "He would say that."

"And Rin would…" His shoulders tensed and he stopped walking.

Crap.

How had she forgotten!? "Ka-kun, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking…"

Rin's death was too fresh for her to mention the girl's name and she'd blurted it out anyway. What was wrong with her?

"Did you just call me Ka-kun?" There was a hint of amusement, slight, but it was there and he'd started walking again. She sagged in relief. He wasn't mad at least.

"I guess I did." She smiled and rested her chin on his shoulder again. "Sorry."

Kakashi smirked, "I think I like it. No one's given me a nickname like that before."

He had nicknames, a few of them, and she'd sooner stab a kunai in her eye than call him by any of them. "Ka-kun it is then," she giggled, tilting her head toward his neck, "Where are we going anyway?"

He shrugged. "Anywhere you want."

"Feel like flying?" She grinned.

He answered by tightening his hold on her and leaping to the roof of a nearby paper stand. Jumping to the roof of the grocery store, he took off, leaping and bounding from rooftop to rooftop while she flung her arms out and grinned like a maniac.

Rin's death loomed over him like a dark cloud, but if she could make him forget for a bit, then it was worth the nausea she'd get later.

* * *

What the…?

"Happy Birthday, Taishi!"

Huh?

This…this was for her?

"Surprised?" Kakashi chuckled, glancing at her.

"Yeah…but…why?" She held onto his shoulders while she slid off his back. He'd told her they were going for dinner, but he had to stop by the Hokage tower to hand in a report. The main entry was crammed full of people, the walls were covered in streamers, there were two tables full of gifts, four tables covered with food, and a large banner hanging over a cake bigger than Minato at the back of the room.

"Minato-sensei said you'd never had a birthday party before, so everyone chipped in for it," Kakashi explained as he led her to center of the room where Minato, Kushina, Chiori, Iruka, and Itachi stood smiling at her.

"Thank you."

She didn't get a chance to say anything else before she was bombarded by Iruka, Itachi, and several of her classmates and shoved toward the tables of gifts, each child insisting she open theirs first.

This…

This was a birthday party?

She grinned, diving into the first of her gifts and destroying the cardboard box as if it offended her, pulling a green dress one the girls in her class had gotten her out. She thanked the girl, handed the dress to Minato and moved on to the next box, a stuffed brown rabbit with floppy ears.

She chewed her lip, staring at the rabbit. Another toy. She still didn't know what to do with her wolf…

"Do you like it?" Iruka grinned at her, a blush on his cheeks.

"Hai, it's cute, but…" she looked up at Minato, "What do I do with it?"

"Do with it?" Minato scratched his head, brow furrowing, "You play with it."

"How? I have my wolf too, but it just sits on my bed. I don't know what to do with it either," she frowned, tucking the rabbit in her arm and plucking at the ear. "They're too soft to be weapons and they aren't clothes or food or books. What am I supposed to do with them?"

Minato's gaze snapped to Kakashi before he looked back at her, horror etched all over his face. "You…you never had a toy, did you?"

"The Daimyo gave me a stuffed wolf before he died. You saw it."

"Taishi? Do you know what a toy is?" Kushina asked, grasping her shoulder and kneeling in front of her.

"Something kids play with."

Kushina smiled at her, running her fingers over the rabbit's head, "Most children name their stuffed toys, talk to them and take them on adventures. They're a friend."

A friend?

She stared at the rabbit. "Like Obito, Rin, Kakashi, Toshi, Iruka, Itachi, you, Chiori-baachan, Gai, Kurenai, and Genma?"

"Exactly." Minato smiled at her, "Only the rabbit will always be there to talk to when the rest of us aren't."

"It doesn't talk back though."

"You can imagine it talking back if you want," Kushina smiled, patting her cheek, "It's really up to you what you want to do with it."

She chewed her lip. A friend who didn't talk? Hmm….

Shrugging, she stuck the rabbit in her vest and grinned at Iruka. "Thank you. I like it."

Kushina smiled and stood, rubbing her head. "Okay. Next box."

* * *

Minato shifted Taishi in his arm as he unlocked her apartment. She hadn't known what a toy was…

It'd been hours ago, but his twisted gut still hadn't lessened any. What kind of okaasan did his imouto have?

No birthday parties, no toys, no chance to be a child…

He frowned, flipping the light switch on. The rage curling in the pit of his stomach increased as the spotless, organized apartment came into view. She was seven. There should have been chaos in the place. Toys, books, clothes…she shouldn't have known how to clean or do laundry or organize books according their names.

Her bed shouldn't have been made with shinobi precision.

Her clothes shouldn't have been folded so neatly and organized by color.

He placed her sleeping form in the bed and shifted her pillow under her head, wincing as something sliced his finger. Grabbing what cut him, he pulled it out from under the pillow.

A kunai.

She slept with a kunai under her pillow?!

Chucking the weapon across the room, he bent and covered her with the blanket.

Fuugaku, Chiori.

Funny.

Their okaasans had the same first names, yet his would never have rotted his childhood the way hers had.

He knelt beside the bed, running a hand through her bangs. She scrunched her face and he smiled, bending to kiss her forehead. "I'm so sorry. If I could have, I would've gotten you away from Suna sooner. You didn't deserve any of this, Tai and, I swear, we'll make this right somehow."

It was probably already too late, but he had to try. Come hell or high water, he'd get Fuugaku, Chiori to Konoha and find out exactly what she'd done to this little girl and see about his ototo too. Taishi hadn't mentioned anything about him since the night he'd brought her here. Was he being treated the same way?


	7. Chapter 7

It took a year and more compromises than he cared to admit, but finally, he'd managed to get Fuugaku, Chiori and his ototo to Konoha and he couldn't say he was impressed with the woman. She wasn't anyone remarkable, in fact, he'd call her plain. Black hair, stout, and gentle.

So why did his imouto seem to hate the woman so much?

"Hokage-sama," she greeted with a kind smile as she stepped into the room, a little redhaired boy on her heels.

He exchanged the bow before smiling at her, gaze shifting to the curious boy beside her. "And this is?"

"Fuugaku, Matsu," Chiori grinned, tugging the boy in front of her, "My pride and joy."

He hummed in his throat and sat back down in his chair. The boy dashed to his desk and, gripping the edge, asked, "Is my Oneesan here?"

"She's at the Academy at the moment," he smiled at the boy, watching Chiori's face sour.

So, she did have a problem with Taishi after all.

"Can I go see her?" Matsu asked, bouncing on his toes, "Onegai."

"I don't see why not," he chuckled, glancing at the dog masked ANBU in the corner, "Take him to see Taishi. Bring him back in a half hour."

"Hai," Kakashi answered, stepping into the light of the office and motioning for the boy's hand.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama!" Matsu chirped, gripping Kakashi's hand and following him from the office.

"You didn't execute her after all," Chiori breathed the moment the door closed.

He shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "We integrated her. Though, I admit, I'm curious as to why you wanted to execute her in the first place."

"She let our Daimyo die," she answered, gaze dropping to the desk.

"Is that the only reason?"

"Hai."

"So, her being a Jinchuriki has nothing to do with it at all."

Chiori glared at him. "No."

He leaned forward in his chair, steepling his fingers as he rested his elbows on the desk. "You're sure about that?"

"Am I being interrogated, Hokage-sama? I just said her being a Jinchuriki has nothing to do with it."

"You'd be willing to take her home today then?"

"No."

"Why?" he asked, dropping his hands to the desk.

"She's safer here."

"True. However, I think there's more to it than that."

"Meaning?" Chiori questioned.

"You introduced your son as Fuugaku, Matsu, and said he was your pride and joy, yet your daughter is Namikaze, Taishi and not once during our conversation have you asked about her and how she's doing, you don't want her home, and, while you claim her being a Jinchuriki has nothing to do with it, you also have been pushing for her execution. Something doesn't add up here."

"The Daimyo was killed because of her, so execution is the only fate she has left. I've made my peace with that."

"So she's dead to you then?"

"Hai."

He sighed, leaning back in his chair. "She hates you for some reason. I'd like to know why."

Chiori shrugged. "I was good to her."

"Were the villagers?"

"Hai."

Somehow, he didn't believe her for a minute. Before he could say another word, the door to his office burst open and Taishi and Matsu ran in, Taishi screaming Aniki at the top of her lungs.

"Look what I learned today," she grinned, flashing through a series of hand signs and seemingly not noticing the woman in the room. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

The room exploded with copies of Taishi everywhere.

He chuckled and patted the head of the one closest to him. "Good job!"

Taishi grinned and released the jutsu. "And Matsu's here too. Did you meet him?"

"I did," he nodded, waving her over, "Your okaasan's here as well."

She froze in place and paled, tilting her head in the woman's direction. Then, she backpedaled so fast she slammed into the wall with a grunt and fell to the floor, backing as far into the wall as she could. She whimpered and shifted to a bow on the floor.

He quirked a brow as Chiori grinned.

"Well, seems you haven't forgotten your place."

His jaw dropped. Her place? What the fuck was this woman talking about?

"No…No, okaa-sama," Taishi whispered, trembling as she stayed in a bowing position.

"'Kaasan, oneesan was just showing her new jutsu-"

"She disrupted a meeting. She knows better."

Taishi nodded vigorously. "I'm sorry, Okaa-sama."

"Chiori-san, I have no issue with her disturbing my meetings. She knows she's welcome anytime she wants," he cut in before the situation escalated, "Taishi, get up. You have no reason to bow to anyone that way."

He'd gotten his answer. Fuugaku, Chiori thought her daughter was beneath her and that didn't sit well with him at all.

"But-"

"Get up," Kakashi hissed, hauling Taishi to her feet and glaring at Chiori through his mask, "A child shouldn't be treated like that."

"Child? Do you know what she is, boy?" Chiori snorted, crossing her arms, "She's a beast and should be treated like one."

"And there's the answer I was looking for earlier," he pointed out, standing from his chair and glancing at Matsu, "Do you treat him like a beast as well?"

"Of course not!" Chiori snapped, grasping Matsu, "He's my son. My joy. I'd never treat him like her." She sneered in Taishi's direction.

"I think I've heard enough," he nodded to an ANBU in the corner, "Matsu is free to visit anytime he wishes, but you are banned from Konoha starting now."

Chiori shrugged. "I don't want to be anywhere near that monster anyway. To be honest, I thought I was picking up her ashes today or I wouldn't have come in the first place."

He sat back in his chair and waved Taishi over, who climbed into his lap and curled up to him like a frightened puppy. "Well, when that day comes, I won't be releasing her ashes to you. They'll stay in her home. Here."

"Fine," Chiori snuffed, grasping Matsu's hand and tugging him to the door.

"I'll see you soon, Oneesan!" Matsu promised, voice unsteady as he was dragged out the door.

"You too, ototo," Taishi sighed as the door closed. She looked up at him. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he sighed, rubbing her back, "There's nothing to be sorry about. Though, now I understand why you don't like her."

He did understand too. Kushina had to keep her Jinchuriki status hidden to fit in and by the looks of it, Taishi would have to do the same. He sighed. It wouldn't be easy, but he'd make certain Taishi was never exposed.

Kushina, on the other hand, was going to be a bit more difficult, especially since she was so close to giving birth. Only another month and his son would be here. Where had the time gone?

* * *

"You can walk you know."

"So, maybe I wanted you to carry me," Taishi giggled, unsnapping a snap on Kakashi's vest and re-snapping it. "I hardly see you anymore."

"I've been busy."

"Too busy for dango. You suck, you know that," she sighed, resting her head on the back of his.

Really, she didn't know why she was bugging Kakashi today, but after the meeting with her mother last week, she'd been uneasy, and her apartment was a hole of silence which didn't help her nerves any. So, she'd been spending as much time around others as she could, but, for some reason, Kakashi was making her relax more than when she was spending time with Itachi and Iruka.

It didn't make any sense, but she wasn't complaining. She rarely saw the ANBU anymore, so whatever time she got with him was a relief. Re-snapping his vest, she slid off his back as they stopped in front of the dango shop where Genma, Kurenai, Gai, and Asuma were seated.

"Ah, Taishi, our lovely blossom, join us," Spandex frog boy grinned, waving her over.

She nodded and sat beside him before grabbing the menu.

"Kakashi, it's been a while," Kurenai smiled, cupping her cheek, "We rarely see you these days."

"I've been busy."

Asuma nodded, looking over at Taishi, "You either, squirt."

"I've been training with Itachi and his otousan."

"Really?" Kakashi asked, shock clear in his voice.

She nodded. "I was surprised when he offered too."

"Are you doing okay?" Genma asked.

She nodded. "Itachi's otousan says I'm making fast progress for someone my age. Said I'll surpass Itachi one day if I keep at it."

"Good. Happy to hear it," Asuma chuckled, rubbing her head.

Why did they keep doing that?

She swatted at him and missed, so settled for pouting. She was a kid, but they didn't have to treat her like one all the time. She squeaked as she was yanked into a cabbage armpit. Seriously? Still no deodorant? She gagged, shoving at Spandex frog boy. "Get off!"

"Never. Our blossom is starting to bloom, it's a glorious day!" Gai declared, squeezing her tighter.

"Gai, let go of her," Kakashi sighed, tugging her away from the cabbage.

"Rival Kakashi, I'm doing nothing more than praising our blossom for her hard work. She's come a long way in a year."

"True, but you could find some other way to congratulate her."

"I'll pay for her meal then," Gai nodded, waving the waitress over.

She grinned, sharing a look with Kakashi. If Spandex frog boy was paying, she'd eat her fill and share it too. Sometimes, it was good to have great friends.


	8. Chapter 8

Chiori-baachan, Aniki, Kushina-neechan, Toshi…

There were so many.

She shifted Naruto against her shoulder, Kakashi helping her keep a steady hold on him as the funeral progressed. How had this happened?

Naruto's birthday was supposed to be a good day, but…

Now, his was going to be like hers.

Forgotten, overlooked, and abandoned.

She frowned at the mop of blond hair in her arm. In an hour, she'd have to give him to the Sandaime to be placed in the orphanage, but she'd still visit him and make sure he had a good birthday, even if no one else did.

Even if Kakashi didn't.

She glanced at the silver-haired sixteen-year-old. Kakashi didn't look at her, didn't glance at Naruto, he just stood beside her with a hand loosely on Naruto's back in case she dropped him. What was going through his mind right now?

It'd been two days and Kakashi hadn't said anything to her.

Neither had Iruka, Itachi, Gai, Kurenai, or Genma.

Most of the adults wouldn't look at her either.

Why?

Naruto shifted against her shoulder, a tiny whimper coming from him. She smiled at him and shifted him to the crook of her elbow and, with Kakashi's help, held him while she dug his bottle from the weapons pouch on her hip. Shifting the bottle on his tongue like the nurse at the hospital had shown her, she fed Naruto while the funeral progressed, ignoring the way Kakashi's fist clenched for a moment before he relaxed his grip on Naruto.

Why were they so mad at her nephew?

He hadn't done anything wrong. He was a baby.

She sighed, running her pinky under his chin while he watched her with bright blue eyes. "Ignore them," she murmured, smiling at him, "They don't know what happened or why, but I'm here if you ever need me. Things won't be easy with people acting like they are, but I know how it is and I know how much it's going to hurt. You aren't alone, Naru-chan. I'm right here. Don't ever forget that."

The whispers, the looks…it was Sunagakure all over again. Only this time, her nephew was the one singled out instead of her. She frowned. "I won't let them hurt you too. I swear it. Even if I must become stronger than the Hokage and use that, I'll protect you. I promise."

She wasn't sure what that was exactly, but she felt it, some unknown power thrumming beneath her own. Her neighbor in Sunagakure had warned her to never touch it under any circumstances, but she would if it meant protecting him.

Though, how was something to ponder on another day.

For now, she focused on the tiny bundle in her arms, just as she would for the next twelve years.

-End-

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ This concludes Part one. I haven't started Part Two yet, but, hopefully, it'll turn out a little better. I was half asleep when I wrote Part One and couldn't figure out ways to improve it or lengthen the chapters either but I wanted to share it anyway. I'll be posting some more Naruto stories I've started in the next few days but none of them are finished. May just lump them together and let you guys choose which one I should complete since I can't decide what to keep and what to scrap. Anyway, thanks for reading! See you next time and please let me know what you think. Good or bad, doesn't matter. Thank you!


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